showing between the bending boughs of the Vicarage shrubbery, completed the picture. My heart sickened as I was compelled to turn my eyes from the enchanted spot, and be once more consigned to a living tomb!

tint, now lighted up by the cheerful blaze of the hearth (for it was getting chilly weather), gave an air of great comfort. Besides, there was in that room what renders every room pleasant-a bond of union between its occupants, and the kindly smile or cheerful laugh was constantly seen or heard. And yet, strange as it may seem, I had not been there a minute before a pang went to my heart, which has never ceased to vibrate! I had just glanced at a quiet-look"I daresay we shall find something here, ing old gentleman, seated in an arm-chair beside sister, that will just do. I've heard this closet is the fire; at one just in the prime of youthful full of funny old dresses,' sounded on my ear. manhood, whose countenance wore the aspect of "The closet-door opened, and there stood two goodness and piety; and at a lady, somewhere children on tiptoe, peeping in at me and my about thirty years of age (the mother of my brethren-when I say brethren, I mean so far little friends), when my gaze became rivetted on that we were fellow-sufferers and fellow-pri- the form of one who, aged and half childish, sat soners; but I scorned any real relationship to in the opposite chair to him whom I first menthem, being an unusually proud brocade (more tioned, and who was his wife. And why were was the pity)! But to return. The little dears my eyes thus chained? and why did my heart -one a boy about eleven years old, the other thus seem bursting with grief? Because, in the his sister, some two years younger-stood look-wrinkled and withered lineaments before me, I ing at us for a few seconds, which gave me an opportunity of taking a full observation of their persons. I was really charmed; they were such gay, gladsome young creatures-pretty, too, they certainly were: but it was the expression of thorough good temper and light-hearted joy which overspread their faces, and sounded in the ringing peal of their innocent laughter, that made me love them at once. I had naturally a cheerful disposition myself, and I was delighted when I found life in others. Well, the darling boy soon fixed his eye upon me, and lifting me out, began to array his little sister's "And now my memory fails me, and there is form in my ample proportions. Then they both a perfect blank in my mind as to anything that laughed till I thought they would exhaust them- happened until some four years back, when I selves, as, fetching a looking-glass, Charley found myself (or rather what was left of myself made Leila admire herself in her grand cos--small and insignificant indeed! merely a few tume. Then he tied on her head a sort of fancy gipsy-hat he found amongst the rubbish (a most droll mixture of the courtly and the pastoral did the little lady now appear), and made her precede him down the stairs; whilst he, acting as her page, held up my superfluous length behind.

"This time, however, I was not left so long to my own dreary reflections; for, a few days later, I was roused by the sound of merry, youthful voices, evidently approaching my hiding-place.

"We safely reached the dining-room door, beside which we found a black man-servant, standing in readiness to show us in state. He was a negro, but a very good-looking specimen of his race, with a sweet placid expression of countenance. Now, however, on seeing us, his dark face relaxed into a broad grin, which showed the large row of white teeth in full relief. "Oh, Massa Charley, dat is goot! Little Missie is beau'ful now. How goot!'

666

'Yes, Yeo, Leila is my Lady Gordon now! Mind you say so in there," he said, pointing to the dining-room.

"M' Leddy Gordon!' said the African, as he burst open the door, and ushered in the laughing

children.

recognized my once young and exquisitely beautiful mistress! What a change! I could not bear it. She was still calm and dignifiedstill the lady; but the light of intellect was fading, and memory well-nigh gone! I turned away, and wept; I could endure the sight no longer; and glad was I when the little Leila, after being admired even by her over whom I wept (her great Grandmamma), left the room, and freeing herself from my weight, left me to be tossed, by one of the servants, into my old resting-place.

square inches of what were yards) converted into the case for a toilet-cushion; in the hand of a modern lady's maid. She had a pleasant coun tenance, though; and I could not help being pleased with her, although she was modern, and I liked no new ways, nor persons, nor things, She had pricked out on my face, in pins, the name of one to whom she now meant to present me, thinking I should be valued as having once been part of a dress belonging to Mistress Mary H. And now adieu; I can say no more."

There was a pause; the remnant of faded silk spoke no more; but my beauteous little fairy continued:

"Mortal! thou knowest the rest: thou wert she to whom the cushion was consigned: it was of thy great Grandparent of whom thou hast been hearing. Wilt thou not in future look upon this humble appendage to thy dressingtable with something like affection? Has not the little tale it has told thee invested it with a degree of interest before unfelt by thee?"

"It was a moderate-sized room, the ceiling low- as in old-fashioned country-houses is too I faltered out a trembling "Yes." The tiny often the case-but notwithstanding, it was a creature touched me with her magic wand, and very pleasant room. The deep crimson velvet- I awoke! I rubbed my eyes; I looked around papered walls, and curtains of the same warm me. All was as usual, except that the candle

was burning in the very socket. I looked at the dear old pincushion; I took it up, examined it: it was the same as before- -a faded, tarnished

MY DEAR C,

thing; and no bright fairy adorned it! Had I been dreaming? Yes; but for once I had been dreaming facts!

(BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) PARIS, April 21.

It was a source of some regret to me, that I was forced to despatch my last letter too early to be able to give you a description of Longchamps; I will spare you the account of what was the origin of Longchamps, for each year this legend is repeated, and I shall content myself by endeavouring to give you an idea of what it was this year.

In the first place, the three days devoted to this exhibition of Vanity Fair were about the coldest in the year; bleak winds, and snow flakes, made the little light lace bonnets, with their bright flowers and downy plumes, look terribly out of season; as to the faces under the said bonnets, I leave your imagination to fill up the picture: vainly did the roses of Nattier vie with the equally artificial roses on the cheeks of the fashionable belles; both were eclipsed, both faded, before nature's own colouring, as displayed on the noses of these fair ladies; and the imperial flowers, the violets, saw their colours on the lips and cheeks of many a dame. But I ought not to jest on this subject, for I should think many fluxions de poitrine were caught during those three days. The Emperor and the Empress were there; but fortunately for the latter, whose chest is not strong, they were in a close carriage. The rumour which I hinted to you in my former letter gains ground, and the Empress taking the right hand side in the car

age confirms it.

I heard the other day a little anecdote, which I tell to you as 'twas told to me, without answering for its truth, though it seems very probable. It appears that in the evenings at the Tuileries there are two seats, elevated above the others for the accommodation of their Majetties: it happened a short time ago, that after sitting some time on his seat beside the Empress, the Emperor, feeling perhaps a little bored (he always looks excessively bored), or wishing to stretch his legs (a wish in which all his loyal subjects and trusty friends should participate, for they are much too short), left his place, and joined a group of gentlemen who were conversing at a little distance. Her Majesty, who was probably equally bored, encouraged by the example of her lord and master, Soon after quitted her place also, and joined a group of ladies. His Majesty looked rather displeased, and cast several significant glances at his spouse; but either his countenance did not express what he wished, or the lady did not, or possibly would not, understand; so after a little time spent in telegraphing, his Majesty

joined the Empress, and leading her to one of the numerous mirrors, said to her, "In what does this glass differ from the Empress?" The poor Empress was obliged "to give it up." Upon which her Lord answered himself his riddle in these words: "This mirror reflects, and the Empress does not." Wit, like some other maladies, being infectious, it appears the poor Imperatrice, though so lately unable to guess the clever and original conundrum of her husband, seemed suddenly inspired by the contact with his superior mind; and leading him to another mirror, parodied the question he had addressed to her; on his also giving it up," she said, "The difference is this: the mirror is polished, and the Emperor is not."

It appears that already the Imperatrice is paying somewhat dearly for her exalted position, by the continual restraint and ennui to which she is subjected. I heard from a person who stood near her on one occasion, at a great ball, that during the space of at least half-anhour she remained with her eyes cast down, and looking the picture of sadness, until some Spaniards happening to approach, she entered into conversation with them, and conversed with great animation; when happening to catch the eye of the Emperor, she ceased speaking, dropped her eyes, and resumed her melancholy air for the remainder of the evening. She continues to do a great deal of good to the poor, spending large sums in charity; but whilst in a less elevated, but probably a far happier position, she bestowed liberally on those members of her family who were less fortunate than herself, and to those who had no claim on her bat that of their misfortunes; a claim, alas! not usually admitted as being one.

It is a subject of wonder to most rational people, the immense expenses which the government, with a deficit in the budget, are daily incurring in the embellishment of Paris and the Bois de Boulogne; the pulling down certain streets infected by a bad set of people, giving light and air, and thereby rendering healthy localities to which these blessings were unknown, seems reasonable and just enough, and money well spent; but these reasons cannot be applied to the embellishments daily going on in Paris, to which new boulevards are to be added, and to the lakes and other improvements which are to be made in the Bois de Boulogne. True, these works give employment to a vast number of the ouvriers; but from whence will come the money to pay them? Perhaps, like many of his predecessors, Louis Napoleon thinks that the present moment is all that he need trouble him

self about; the future regards not him, but his successors, and says, "Après moi le deluge"-a very convenient system.

House rent, and living in general, is very expensive in Paris, and rents continue to rise in all descriptions of apartments, from the fine hotels to the lodgings of the poorer classes; to a certain degree this may be attributed to the vast number of houses which have been pulled down; but whatever may be the cause, the fact is certain, that this state of things excites great though suppressed murmurs among the lower classes; and in the upper there are few fetes or entertainments; in fact, this season has been marked only by the fêtes given by the people of the government, and by the absence of balls and parties dans la societé.

One of the finest fêtes was that given to their Majesties by the Prefet de la Seine; and arrangements had been made to obviate the inconvenience usually experienced on these occasions from the excessive crowding, so destructive to anything like enjoyment, and so fatal to the toilettes of the women. But apropos of toilettes: surely there must be some means of guarding against the really serious evil of which every one complains at these fêtes. I allude to the streams of wax which towards the close of the evening flow from the candles, to the utter destruction of everything in the shape of dress; perhaps, as the Imperatrice received one of these showers on her beautiful shoulders the other evening, some measures will now be taken to prevent the recurrence of such an accident. I hear that one of the magnificent carpets which I described to you in a former letter, and which was for the Hotel de Ville, has been completely spoilt by the quantity of wax falling thus.

Hugo) had left Jersey for Caen, in order to pursue a course of studies on photography with a M. Edmond Bacot, a name well known amongst daguerreotype artists. Scarcely had he arrived in Caen, when he received the visit of the commissaire de la police, accompanied by another person: a most minute search was immediately instituted by these persons; the furniture, even to the bed, was inspected, and M. Hugo's portefeuille was examined; but nothing was discovered of a nature to justify the suspicions of which he was the object. When M. C. Hugo went to have his passport visited previous to returning to Jersey, the Prefet signified to him that he would not sign that passport, though he admitted it to be en règle; and it was only from the fact of M. Leroy being absent when some days after M. C. Hugo went again with his passport, that the necessary forms for rendering it available were completed. M. C. Hugo then thought that he might consider himself free from further annoyance from the police; but his hopes were doomed to disappointment, for he was awakened at half-past eight in the morning by the visit of two more commissaires de police, whose search lasted upwards of an hour-and-a-half; they took his portefeuille and his carnet de voyage (which is, I believe, a sort of pocket-book with tablets); from the portefeuille they took some confidential letters, which they read, and made their com ments on the carnet they forced open; it contained the secret of M. Bacot for producing his beautiful photographique proofs, which he had refused to give for any sum even to the Society of Encouragement; and now this secret, which is in fact a property, is in the possession of the police of Caen.

I told you of the sensation created by the If this is just, it is the justice the strong deal Republican demonstration at the funeral of Ma-out to the weak-when the strong are tyrants, dame Raspail, though nothing could be more that is to say. I heard, the other day, one whose orderly and tranquil than the conduct of all heart is as generous as his mind is elevated and those assembled on this sad occasion to testify superior, say, The present government has their sympathy and regret. Well, a few days contrived to embitter even those enjoyments of after appeared a decree, enjoining the Prefets to which it could not deprive us; for how is it pos prevent a greater number of persons than they, sible to enjoy luxuries, when one daily hears of the Prefets, thought proper, from assembling to the suffering and privation of those it has follow the dead to their last resting-place; to exiled, and deprived of country, fortune, and prevent more persons entering the cemetery than friends?" the Prefets in their wisdom judged fit, and to prevent any discours whatever being made over the grave, (in France, from time immemorial, it has been the custom to pronounce a discourse over the body when placed in the grave): these measures were executed faithfully on the occasion of the interment of M. Michel (de Bourges), a most remarkable man, who died soon after this moderate and humane decree. The gendarmerie and the police, two piquets of artillery, were there in readiness, and a detachment of Hussars were at the church door. Many members of the family of M. Michel (de Bourges) were prevented entering the cemetery, and no discourse was pronounced. This is un peu fort, is it not?

But here is another instance of the arbitrary measures of the government of Louis Napoleon, M. Charles Hugo (son of Victor

One of the latest productions in theatricals is "Marie Roce," a drama in five acts, by M. M. Anicet Bourgeois and Michel Masson, and brought out at the Gaiété. The scene is laid at Marseilles. Marie Roce has a husband, Ambroise, a second edition of Othello for jealousy, though his wife is as pure as she is charming; but Ambroise discovers in her possession a loveletter, bearing the address, "To Marie Roce." This, combined with a pilgrimage of eight days, which she has just made, in the hope of becoming a mother, excites the jealousy of Ambroise, who makes such furious reproaches to his unlucky wife, that she goes mad, and consequently is unable to give an explanation to her husband. She becomes a mother; but Ambroise will not allow the child, a girl, to remain under his roof, and sends it to an old